Ontario’s latest amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 are now in force. The message to employers is simple: if you’re thinking it, posting it, or automating it — you probably have to disclose it.
The biggest shift is pay transparency. Employers with 25 or more employees must now include compensation details in publicly advertised job postings. That means a specific wage or a salary range. And if you use a range, it cannot exceed $50,000. So, no more $60,000–$160,000 “depending on experience” situations. “Competitive salary” has officially left the chat.
Artificial intelligence also gets a moment in the spotlight. If AI is used to screen or assess candidates, that must be disclosed in the job posting. You can still use technology. You just have to admit it. If a robot is helping decide who gets an interview, applicants are entitled to know.
Ontario has also taken aim at hiring communication. If you interview a candidate, you must notify them of the outcome within 45 days. No detailed explanation required — just closure. In other words, recruitment ghosting is no longer just rude; it’s non-compliant.
The amendments also prohibit “Canadian experience” requirements in job postings, expand record-keeping obligations (including keeping postings and related records for three years), introduce unpaid job-seeking leave in certain mass termination situations, and adjust temporary layoff rules in specific circumstances.
None of these changes are dramatic on their own. But together, they reflect a clear theme: transparency. About pay. About process. About technology. About communication.
For employers, the action items are practical. Update your job posting templates. Double-check your compensation bands. Make sure someone knows whether AI is being used in recruitment — before you’re asked. And build a simple system to follow up with candidates.
Ontario hasn’t reinvented employment law in 2026. It has simply made good hiring manners enforceable.
Robin K. Mann, Associate Lawyer